Arequipa and Ucayali, the regions where the project was implemented, showed the progress and commitments made by the region to address climate change.

The progress shown is part of a joint effort among the Regional Governments, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Swiss Cooperation (SDC)

The ceremonies marking the closure of Phase 1 of the Climate Change Management Support Project were held in Arequipa and Ucayali on January 16^th and February 20^th, respectively, with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of the Environment, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), regional governments, academia, civil society organizations, community leaders, and local partners.

During his presentation, Benigno Sanz, Manager of the Regional Environmental Authority of the Arequipa Region, indicated that the environment is a priority for the Regional Government, highlighting the valuable contribution of the Swiss Government since 2015 to the Regional Environmental Authority, as well as to the Arequipa Sostenible Campaign, which has achieved the participation of the region. He also announced a set of projects, studies, and strategies jointly articulated on fronts such as climate change adaptation and mitigation.

It should be noted that since 2015, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), through its Global Programme Climate Change, has been contributing to concerted action in order to include the condition of climate change into public, multi-sector and multi-level management, with a view to low-carbon and climate-resilient development with the Climate Change Management Support Program. The Program’s second phase will allocate CHF 3 million to take action on water vulnerability and the use of solar energy. To learn more about the progress made in the region of Arequipa, click on the following link.

This was an opportunity to learn about the progress made and to give emphasis to the pending agenda regarding Community Forest Management, an alternative with the potential to reduce deforestation and at the same time create opportunities for the Native Communities to promote “eco-businesses” of forest use for sustainable development, in line with their Life Plan.

Rafael Millán, SDC National Program Officer, mentioned the importance for Switzerland of supporting the implementation of the NDCs, as well as the relevance of the Climate Change Management Support Project as an innovative project that sets the tone for making this possible. In this respect, he highlighted the different nuance that this project gives to the process of implementing the NDCs, through the articulation between the central government and the regions, as is the case of Arequipa and Ucayali, which were the regions where the project was implemented. Click on the following link to learn more about the progress made in the Region of Ucayali.